Starting Monday, Riverside University Health System (RUHS) will temporarily take over the day-to-day operations of Palo Verde Hospital in Blythe, providing management and clinical services, hospital leadership, staffing support and other related assistance in an effort to stabilize the troubled facility.
“This agreement gives us six months to stabilize care, restore confidence, gather facts and bring forward responsible long-term recommendations,” County Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen said at the February 19 Palo Verde Healthcare District (PVHD) meeting where the agreement was approved. “It is measured, it is limited, it is legally sound, and it’s focused on one thing: Protecting the health and safety of this community.”
In order to achieve the goal of stabilizing the hospital, the agreement allows the county to bring in a chief executive officer, chief financial officer, emergency department medical director, emergency department nurse manager or director, an operations/administrative manager and any other roles the county deemed necessary for the term of the agreement. The council would also be responsible for appointing a qualified physician as interim chief of staff…